Prologue
Signal In the Sky
By Purrsia Kat

         An omen: an ominous telling of things to come, perhaps. I have been the bearer of such omens, an oracle of sorts for the universe for untold ages. Anyone who could brave the treacherous mountain that was my home and stare into my fiery eye would be granted in depth knowledge or aid of my impressive power; whatever it is they might ask.
        There came a day when a curious manner of being, unlike any I had yet seen on my largely uninhabited planet, presented to me a jewel that appeared strikingly like the fiery eye that is my own tangible incarnation. It was the Eye of Thundera, stolen from my great collection of treasures and then falling into the hands of Mumm-Ra the Everliving. The gem was useless to him, as it only called to those pure of heart.
        I thought it lost forever until this man stood before me, gem in hand. He was a lion of a man and I suspected he’d wandered far and long to stand before me. Wasting no time, he boldly thrust the jewel into my flame, demanding that I forge it into the hilt of a magical blade. The Eye’s power, when mingled with my own, became a magical weapon to be reckoned with.
        Pulling his scorched arm away, he clutched the newly formed blade and dubbed it the Sword of Omens. Taking pity on the man and his burned arm, I formed a feline-looking sheath for it that would serve as both a defensive shield and protection for his damaged limb.
        Finally, this bravest of men used the newly forged blade and the magical emblem within it to take me from my mountain perch and stow me away into a golden tome that has been my home since. It was for the better good, he believed, as he himself saw omens – dark omens – through the second sight he possessed through the eye-like jewel. Dark forces were conspiring to take my power for themselves and that, he believed, would be enough to overcome the power he gained from the jewel.
        So impressed was I with the man for his determination and bravery that from then on I made a pact with his people, yet it was not one born of blind faith. A key he had brought with him, one that had a replica of jewel he so treasured carved into it, was what anyone who dared seek council with me needed or else become seared to a crisp on the spot. Using a contrived code language only those close to him knew, he started what generations after him would continue – to write down the history, knowledge and secrets of his people inside the Book’s pages by using the Sword like an elegant etching tool. A guide, if you will, to the great power he took full responsibility for when jewel met sword.
        Through the millennia since, there have been many handlers of both Sword and Book of Omens. The greater the individual’s connection with either item, the mightier a weapon it would become. Controlling their powers would come more naturally to the chosen few. Until finally there came a day where we all lost our home with the death of beloved Thundera. That day, two cubs had a heavy burden put on them, forcing them to grow up quickly – both physically and emotionally – to take on the new challenges and threats ahead of them. What follows is their unique story, unlike anything I, the Guardian of the Book, have ever seen recorded in their history. Together with a strong and loyal group of friends, they fought to survive against their old enemies, as well as new ones. But most of all it is tale of a bond between this group of Thunderians that was so unlike any other, it saw them through the worst of times. This bond between friends combined with their young leader’s particularly keen connection to the ancient Eye of Thundera was the strength that would allow them to resist almost certain extinction.

Signal in the sky-oh
That's when you know that you have to fly-oh
Signal in the sky

Power super, super power
Let's go! You know you have a lot do
Let's go! And everything depends on you

-- Signal in the Sky, The Apples in Stereo

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